On a couple of mornings before our Bible camp started, we had the opportunity to visit some of the families in the community around the church. The homes we visited were small, two or three room structures, and the families were all very gracious and hospitable to us. The first family we visited was a couple with five children all around eight years old and younger, including a five month old infant. One of the children, pictured above, was one of my favorites during the camp. He was always so happy and eager to give high fives and hugs. His father helped us during the camp as well. The five month old had to be taken to the hospital later in the week after having a bad reaction to a vaccine. Fortunately, the baby recovered and is doing well.
The next family we visited was dealing with a more difficult situation. The couple had lost a twelve-year old son in a drowning two years ago. The father was not there when we arrived and his wife told us he had left just prior because he did not feel comfortable talking with us. He was angry with God and had tried to convince his wife to stop going to church. The wall in the room we were in featured many pictures of the young boy they had lost. I wasn’t sure what to say to this woman and silently prayed that God would provide me with words to comfort. The best I could do was tell her that the Bible says that God is close to the brokenhearted (Ps. 34:18) and I knew that he was staying close to her and their family. The father came back in during our visit and we were able to speak to him as well. We prayed over them in their grief and continue to pray that God will heal their hearts.
The next day provided a connection to their story as we visited a couple who had recently placed their faith in Christ and were scheduled to be baptized at the church that weekend. It seems that after attending the funeral for the twelve-year old drowning victim, they started attending the church and that led to them becoming Christians. They asked us to pray that the father would be able to find work as he had lost his job when the war started. Here’s a picture of them with two of their children who were attending the camp.
We also visited with a grandmother who was raising nine grandchildren on her own since the war started. Her son had left for the Czech Republic at the beginning of the war to find work so that he could provide for the family and she had not seen him in months. We jokingly told her that we were happy we had been able to give her a break for a few hours every day that week during camp. She looked very tired and asked us for prayer for some health issues she was having. The family lived in a three room structure which is not much room for all of those kids. Here’s a picture of the grandmother with some of the children.
As we visited these families in different circumstances, I was reminded of the wonderful friend we have in Jesus. He knows each one of our situations – our hurts, our joys, our crises – and He walks with us through our daily lives. Each of these families will have their own stories about how God worked in their life. I can’t wait to hear all of the stories of God’s goodness that will be shared in heaven one day!
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